Slide fastener attachment



May 16, 1961 J. J. GUERIN sums: FASTENER ATTACHMENT Filed March 24, 1958 INVENTOR. James J GUGIIII.

Patented May 16, 1961 SLIDE FASTENER ATTACHMENT James J. Guerin, P.0. Box 702, Delake, Greg. Filed Mar. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 723,237

Claims. (Cl. 24-20515) This invention pertains to slide fasteners, and relates particularly to an attachment by which to facilitate the operation of a slide fastener through an inaccessible area.

In the use of slide fasteners to releasably close the backs of dresses, for example, it is generally recognized that difficulty is encountered in moving the slide element through the relatively inaccessible intermediate area in the mid portion of the back. Thus, whereas the wearer has little difiiculty grasping and manipulating the slide tab pull in the areas adjacent the waist and the neck, it is the area in between that generallyis inaccessible to the arms and hands.

A second difliculty frequently encountered with slide fasteners resides in the tendency of undergarments to become caught in the interlocking teeth of the fastener as the latter is closed, resulting from damage both to the undergarment and to the slide fastener.

all forms of slide fasteners of the zipper type, to facilitate operation of thelatter. v

Still another important object of thepresent invention is theprovision-of a slide fastener attachment which is of, simplified construction for economical manufacture and which is capable 'of'being installed upon and removed from a slide fastenerwithspee'd 'andfacility.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a slide fastener attachment embodying the features of the present invention, the same being shown arranged for closing a slide fastener;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the slide fastener attachment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing a detail of construction employed in the pull tab gripping section of the attachment;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44 in Fig. 3; and i Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation, similar to Fig. 2, showing the slide fastener attachment arranged in position for opening a slide fastener.

Referring to the drawing, the illustrated embodiment of the slide fastener attachment of the present invention is designed for use with a conventional slide fastener which includes spaced rows of teeth which are releasably interlocked by means of a slide member 12 operable by a finger pull tab 14. The attachment includes an elongated base provided at one end with a hinge connection and at the opposite end with means for releasably securing the finger pull tab 14. In the embodiment illustrated, these elements are formed as an integral unit from a single base strip 16 which is bifurcated at one end and the bifurcations bent to form hinge loops 1-8, 20 having a common axis extending transversely of the strip.

The opposite end of the strip is bent to form the boxlike structure best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, defined by the longitudinally spaced walls 22, 24 and the interconnecting outer wall 26. The longitudinal walls preferably extend substantially normal to the strip 16 and the outer portions thereof diverge outwardly to form an enlarged pocket in which to receive the enlarged intermediate loop 28 of the U-shaped spring which is confined between the walls. The arms 30 of the spring are normally biased together (Fig. 3) and preferably diverge at their free ends for positioning on opposite sides of an elongated slot 32 in the base 16. The spring arms also preferably are flat in cross section and twisted obliquely in their longitudinal direction, as best shown in Fig. 3, so that the normally abutting surfaces of the spring arms are arranged obliquely with respect to the sides of the elongated slot 32, for purposes explained more fully hereinafter.

A guard member 34 is provided at its reduced end with a hinge loop 36 adapted to be arranged coaxially with the hinge loops 18, 20 on the base 16, for pivotal connection to the latter. In this manner the guard member may be pivoted on the hinge axis for movement between the inoperativeor retracted position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to the operative position indicated in full lines, for purposes explained in detail hereinafter.

An elongated pull cord 38 is attached at one end to one end 40 of a connector, the opposite end of which is bifurcated to provide spaced arms 44, 46. These arms are perforated transversely on a common axis. Thus, the base 16, guard member 34, and connector are adapted to be assembled in the manner best illustrated in Fig. 1, with the hinge sect-ions aligned on a common axis for reception of the pivot pin 48. v. The operation of the slide fastener attachment is as follows: Let it be assumed that it is desired to install the attachment first to assist in the zipping up of a slide fastener which is located at the back of a dress and extends from the waist to the neck thereof. It will be understood that the slide element 12 of the fastener is positioned at the waist end of the fastener when the latter is open. The attachment may be installed upon the slide element either before or after the dress is put on, since in either case the wearers hands may conveniently reach the pull tab 14 of the slide. Assuming that the dress has already been put on, the wearer holds the attachment in one hand, behind her back, and drapes the elongated cord 38 forwardly over her shoulder. The wearer then reaches back with her other hand and grasps the slide fastener pull tab 14 and extends it rearwardly outward. With the guard member 34 and connector rotated to the dotted line positions in Fig. 2, the pull tab is inserted through the slot 32 in the base 16 of the attachment and the latter pushed forwardly so as to draw the pull tab through the constricted arms 30 of the spring. Since these sections of the spring are bent obliquely with respect to the elongated slot 32, they tend to twist the pull tab and thus frictionally bind the latter within the slot whereby the attachment and the pull tab are secured together quite firmly.

The guard member 34 now is rotated in the clockwise direction in Fig. 2, through the opening between the spaced rows of slide fastener teeth 10, to full line position shown in Fig. 2. In this position the guard member is interposed between the slide fastener and an undergarment, whereby effectively to prevent the latter from being caught in the slide fastener as the slide element is drawn upwardly to close the fastener.

The wearer then grasps the free end of the elongated cord 38, draped over her shoulder, and pulls the latter to draw the attachment and the fastener slide 12 upwardly to the neck end of the dress, thereby closing the slide fastener. The wearer then reaches back to the neck and removes the attachment.

When it is desired to open the slide fastener by moving the slide element downwardly to the waist, the attachment is installed in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5. Thus, the guard member 34 is rotated to the position under the base and, with the attachment arranged with the cord 38 hanging downwardly, the wearer holds the attachment in one hand and grasps the pull tab of the fastener slide with the other hand and inserts the tab through the slot in the base, pressing the attachment toward the slide element to draw the tab through the constricted arms of the spring, as previously described. The wearer then pulls downwardly on the free end of the cord, whereby to draw the attachment and the slide element downward to the waist end of the fastener, thereby opening the latter. The attachment may then be removed.

Some forms of slide fasteners incorporate locking means on the pull tab, in such manner as to lock the slide against movement when the pull tab is rotated to a position substantially parallel with the interlocking teeth. It will be observed that the attachment of this invention functions to secure the pull tab in an extended position which maintains such a locking system released, for effective manipulation of the slide.

From the foregoing it is believed to be apparent that the present invention provides an attachment of simplified construction by which to facilitate the manipulation of slide fasteners through inaccessible areas. The attachment is easily installed and removed from the pull tab at the terminal positions of the slide, and the guard member effectively prevents damage to the slide fastener and adjacent undergarment by preventing the undergarment from becoming snagged in the fastener.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the details of construction described hereinbefore without departing from the spirit of this invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention and the manner in which the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. For use with a slide fastener having interlocking teeth and a slide member supporting a pull tab: an attachment comprising a base member, a substantially U- shaped spring mounted on the base member, the base having an elongated slot for receiving a pull tab there- 4 through, the arms of the spring being positioned on opposite sides of the slot for releasably securing a pull tab therebetween, a guard member mounted pivotally on the base member for movement between a retracted position outwardly of the teeth of a slide fastener and an operative position inwardly of the teeth of a slide fastener, and an elongated pull cord secured to the base member.

2. The attachment of claim 1 wherein the arms of the U-shaped spring are fiat in cross section and are bent obliquely in their longitudinal direction to provide securing surfaces which are disposed obliquely with respect to the longitudinal sides of the slot.

3. For use with a slide fastener having interlocking teeth and a slide member supporting a pull tab: an attachment comprising a base member, a substantially U-shaped spring mounted on the base member, the base member having an elongated slot for receiving a pull tab therethrough, the arms of the spring being positioned on opposite sides of the slot for releasably securing a pull tab therebetween, a guard member on the base member arranged to be spaced from the latter for positioning inwardly of the teeth of the slide fastener during closing of the latter, and an elongated pull cord secured to the base member.

4. The attachment of claim 3 wherein the arms of the U-shaped spring are flat in cross section and are bent obliquely in their longitudinal direction to provide securing surfaces which are disposed obliquely with respect to the longitudinal sides of the slot.

5. For use with a slide fastener having interlocking teeth and a slide member supporting a pull tab: an attachment comprising a base member having a surface arranged to face the slide member of a slide fastener, securing means on the base member projecting outwardly away from and substantially normal to said facing surface for releasably securing a pull tab substantially normal to its supporting slide member, a guard member mounted pivotally on the base member for movement between a retracted position outwardly from said facing surface of the base member and an operative position adjacent said facing surface, and an elongated pull cord secured to the base member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 490,806 Gulick Jan. 31, 1893 2,500,694 Matsumoto Mar. 14, 1950 2,515,557 Haswell July 18, 1950 2,531,805 Clark Nov. 28, 1950 2,820,273 McColly et a1. Jan. 21, 1958 2,887,752 Maio May 26, 1959 2,898,141 Perryn Aug. 4, 1959 2,900,205 Cirone Aug. 18, 1959 

